Container for biscuits, crackers, and other commodities.



M. MOSES, JR- CONTAINER FOR BISCUITS, CRACKERS, AND OTHER COMMODITIES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1914- RENEWED JUNE 3.1918- Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- I2 4 M. MOSES, 1H CONTAINER FOR BISCUITS, CRACKERS, AND OTHER COMMODITIES.

APILICATION FIIED JUNE 23, I914. RENEWED JUNE 3.19I8.

, Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

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MARTIITMOSES, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONTAINED-FOR BISCUITS, CRACKERS, AND OTHER COMMODITIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Application filed June 23, 1914, Serial No. 846,735. Renewed June 3, 1918. Serial No. 288,063.

a To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN Mosns,\Jr., a citizen of the United States, residin at New York, in the county and State of ew York, have invented certain new 'anduseful Improvements in Containers for Biscuits, Crackers, and other Commodities, of Which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to boxes or cases suitable for biscuits, crackers, coifee and other products, and its chief object is to provide a box with a false bottom of improved construction which can be raised from time :to time as the goods are removed, thereby keeping the goods always at the top of the box. This makes it easier toremove the remaining goods and displays them to better advantage, as a box having the appearance ofbeing full to the top is more attractive to customers than is one which is nearly empty. A further object is to provide simple but thoroughly effective means for holding the movable bottom in its several elevated positions, and to provide lifting devices of inconspicuous character which will not interfere with the usual flanged closures or lids with which cases for goods of the kind referred to are ordinarily provided. To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of elements hereinafter described. 1

Upon reading the subjoined description and claims, it will be'seen, by those skilled in the art, that the invention can take a number of concrete forms. without departure from its spirit,b ut of these embodiments I. haveillustrated herein only the one that at the present time is believed to exhibit the invention in its most convenient' and effective form. Referrin now to the drawings, in which the em odiment mentioned is shown,

Figure 1 is a cross section of the box showing the movable or false bottom in its lowermost position and omitting the closure for the box. a

2isa view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the movable bottom in one of its higher positions.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the movable bottom, with its supports in vertical position.

" Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the lifters by which the movable bottom is raised.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the fixed bottom,'showin one stage in the manufactureof the preerred form.

Fig. 6 is a sectionalview showing thebox resting on its side, to illustrate the method by which tilting of the movable bottom is prevented under such circumstances.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the preferred form for the fixed bottom.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view showing the hooked lower end of one of they lifters in engagement with the movable bottom, and in. dotted lines showing it dropped out of engagement with said bottom.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, the sheet metal box 10 is of the usual square or rectangular pattern, and the movable bottom 11 is of such size as to fit the box inside loosely enough to permit the bottom to be raised easily and to leave suflicient space at the sides for the lifters 12. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the lifters, made of sheet metal of sufiicient stiffness, are formed at the top with outwardly extend-. ing hooks to engage the top-edge of the side-walls of the box and at the bottom with inwardly disposed hooks to engage the depending fianges of the movable bottom.

The fixed or permanent bottom of the box is designated by 13 and is provided with a plurality oftransverse upwardly extending ribs 14, 15, while the movable bottom 11 is provided on its underside with pivoted legs or supports I6, 17, preferably made of stiff wire bent to the proper form and pivoted to the movable bottom by bending parts of the depending flanges 11, 11*, around them. 7

When the movable bottom 11 is in its lowest position the legs 16, 17 are folded under it as in Fig. 1. To raise the bottom it is only necessary to draw the lifters 12 upwardly, whereupon the bottoms of the pivoted legs ride over the ribs 1%i,-15, as pawls over a ratchet. When the bottom is at the desired height the liftersare released and allowed to drop to the positions shown in Fig. 1, and indotted lincs in Fig. 2; but the legs are stopped by the ribs last passed over and hence sustain the movable bottom in a raised position, as in Fig. 2. As the goods (notshown) are removed from the top the operation described is repeated, the movable bottom being thus raised step by step so that the box can always be made to have the appearance of being full or nearly full. Whenthe box is empty the,

leaving the parts in the positions shown in- 'Ihe box 10 may be of any suitable size and form, difiering from prior types only in respect to its "permanent or fixed bottom, which is provided with the transverse ribs 14, 15,' already mentioned. Usually the said bottom is of tin or other sheet metal, in which case the ribs can be formed by bending the sheet as indicated in Fig. 5. Instead of havingthe ri'bs stand straight up, as in Fig. 5, they may be curved or hooked, as in Figs. 1 and2, so that if the box is turned on its side, as is often ,done by the dealer, the legs will beheld by the ribs, as in Fig. 6, thereby 'preventing the legs from swinging downwardly 01' toward the movable bottom-and preventing the movable bottom from falling or tipping forward. For this purpose the ribs are made in three series,two at the sides and one intermediate, as in Fig. 7. The ribs of the outer series are inclined in one direction, to cooperate with the legs or supports 17, and those of the intermediate series are inclined in the opposite direction to cooperate with the support 16.

To insure engagement of the movable bottom by the lifters 12 when the latter are raised, the movable bottom and the lifters may be movably connected, as by guides 19, Fig. 8, which positively guide the lifters into engagement with the flanges 11, 11 when ever the lifters are drawn up, but permit the lifters to drop to the positions shown in Fig. 1 when they are released.

As previously stated, the invention can be embodied in other forms without departure from its spirit.

I claim:

1. A container or box comprising side walls, a fixed bottom, a vertically movable bottom inside the box, supports pivoted at their upper ends to the movable bottom and adapted to be folded under the movable bottom when the latter is in its lowermost position, ribs or stops on the fixed bottom to engage the said supports as the movable bottom is raised to higher positions, and downwardly extending lifters arranged at the sides of the box and adapted at their lower ends for engagement with the movable bot-- tom' to raise the same.

2. A container or box comprising side walls, 'a fixed bottom, a vertically movable bottom inside the box, supports pivoted at their upper ends to the movable bottom and adapted to be folded under the movable bottom when the latter is in its lowermost position, ribs or stops on the fixed-bottom to engagee the pivoted supports as the movable bottom is raised to higher positions, and lifters at the sides of the box on the inside, comprising vertical jstri'ps formed at. their bottoms -to releasably engage the movable bottom and at theirtops to engagethe' upper edges of the side walls for suspension therefrom.

3. In a container or box of the kind 'described, the combination of a vertically movable bottom, means connected therewith to hold the same in raised positions, and a pair of lifters at the sides of the box, having hooked lower ends to engage the movable bottom and be released therefrom by gravity and having their upper ends formed to engage the side walls of the box for suspens'ion therefrom at all positions of the movable bottom. I

L. In a container or box of the kind described, the combination of a fixed bottom having oppositely disposed ratchet-ribs, a

movable bottom, supports pivoted to the movable bottom and adapted to engage the said ratchet-ribs as the movable bottom is raised to successively higher positions, and means to raise the movable bottom.

'5. In a container or box ofthe kind described, the combination of a fixed bottom having at opposite edges two series of ratchet-ribs inclined in the same direction and an intermediate series of ratchet-ribs inclined in the opposite direction, a vertically movable bottom, a pair of supports pivoted at their tops to the movable bottom at theends of'one edge thereof to coepferate with the said two series of ratchet ribs, a support pivoted at its top to the opposite side-edge of the bottom to swing between the other supports and adapted to engagethe said intermediate series of ratchet-ribs, and means for raising the movable bottom to successively higher positions.

6. In container or box of the kind described, in combination, a box having a fixed bottom, a vertically movable bottom inside the box, supports pivoted at their upper ends to opposite sides of the movable bottoin and adapted to overlap under said movable bottom when the same is in its lowermost position, manual means to raise the movable bottom, a'ndratc'het ribs on the fixed bottom to engage the lower ends of thes'a'id pivoted supports to 'hold the movable bottom in raised position.

7 In a container or box of the kind described, the combination of 'a fixed bottom having transverse ratchet-ribs; a vertically movable bottom; a pair of supports pivote'd at their upper ends to the movable bottom 10 at successively higher positions in the container or box; and means for raising the movable bottom to such successively higher positions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN MOSES, JR.

Witnesses:

M. LAWSON Damn, S. S. DU'NHAM.

Copies of this patent msy be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Wsshington, D. 0. 

